IMPHAL, Feb 27 � In the follow up investigation into seizure of contraband drugs from an Army Lt Colonel and five others, Manipur police has picked up the son of a senior Congress MLA along with a huge quantity of drugs.
Police said they rounded up Saikholen Haokip (35), son of Congress MLA TN Haokip based on information provided by Lt Colonel Ajay Choudhary of Bihar Regiment, who was posted in Manipur as Army PRO, on Monday night.
The army officer and five others were caught on Sunday for transporting psychotropic substances worth more than Rs 15 crores to Moreh town bordering Myanmar, from Imphal.
Police claimed to have recovered 2,316 strips of psychotropic drug Pseudoephedrine tablets including Ketamine hydrochloride injection IP and Extamine 500 mg packed in four huge cartons from the MLA�s private house at Dewlahland here.
He was booed under Section 21/29 of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1988. The MLA�s son was remanded to police custody till March 8 after being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Thoubal district on Tuesday evening.
All the seven arrested persons including the Army officer will be produced before the Special Court of NDPS in Imphal on March 8.
Meanwhile, the Congress MLA TN Haokip clarified that he has no connection with the seizure of drugs as his son was not with him for years. He demanded an inquiry into the incident by an independent body to find out the owner of the seized drugs.
Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam told reporters today that the government was considering to hand over the case to Central agencies like CBI or Narcotics Control Bureau to find out the facts and punish the involved persons.
Meanwhile, the BJP Mahila Morcha organised a sit-in here demanding immediate punishment to the drug smugglers. A memorandum has also been submitted to Manipur Governor Gurbachan Jagat in this regard.
PTI adds: The MLA said his son should be punished.
A former Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, the MLA told reporters here that he resided in government quarters at the ministerial complex at Babupara and had no role in the affair.
He said the house at Deulaland, from where his son was arrested, belonged to Seikholen with whom he had no relations for the past few years.
�There is no question of relations, friends or others while the case is in court,� he said.
He said the government should reward the policemen who arrested Defence PRO Ajay Chaudhury, five persons and later his son for their alleged involvement in attempting to smuggle out illicit drugs to Myanmar.
�Manipur society is degenerating fast because of illicit use of drugs by the youth,� he added.
